Fence.



No. 307,414. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. T.BERNTS10N. FENCE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 23,1904. RENEWED AUG.12,1905.

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Attorney THOMAS BERNTSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Original application filed May 3, 1904, Serial No. 206,220. Divided and this application filed .Tune 23, 1904. Renewed August 12, 1905.

Serial No. 274,015.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS BERNTSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fences and analogous structures madewholly of metal in which the posts or similar elements are flanged and provided with openings for carrying the strands of wire or other material, the latter being held irremovably in said openings by means of novel fastening devices which cannot under ordinary circumstances be displaced from the post nor permit the strands held thereby from becoming disconnected. The strands are not only held in place on the post, but they are prevented from sliding therein, the result being a stronger and more rigid fence and one that will outlast the ordinary wire fence in use at the present time.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a part of a fence, showing two posts and strands between said posts secured by the improved fastening device. Fig. 2 is adetail perspective view of a portion of a post, illustrating the preferred manner of fastening the Wire therein. Fig. 3 is a view of one of the fastening devices detached. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a post having a modified contour and including four flanges disposed in planes at right angles to each other. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of aportion of a post having two flanges at a right angle to each other.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a metallic post which is T-shaped in cross-section or comprises a back flange 2, with a central right-angular flange 3 projecting therefrom. At intervals in the length of the post the flange 3 is formed with T-shaped slots 4, opening out through the edge thereof and having depending vertical portions 5, eX- tending a greater distance below the throats 6 than the upper vertical portion 7, tongues 10 of unequal length being thereby formed. Wire strands 11 are adapted to be threaded through the slots 4: or inserted therein through the throats 6 and secured in said slots Aagainst the lower end walls of the depending vertical portions 5 of the said slots by securing means inserted th rough the slots. The securingmeans consist of wedges 8, having a thickness equal to that of the slots l and longitudinally split to form bendable arms 9, one of which arms on each wedge is caused to engage the tongue 10 adjacent to and preferably below the throat 6, as clearly shown by Fig. 2-. These wedges are reversible, so that either arm 9 may be bent to engage a part of the flange 3 or the flanges of posts of other shapes.

After a strand has been placed in one of the slots 4., a wedge, such as shown by Fig. 3, is

placed in the slot above the strand and driven in as tightly as required or until the upper edge of the wedge pressesagainst the top of the slot 4: and the bottom ofthe wedge bears firmly on the strand 11, whichwill be forced to the bottom of the slot. It is desirable to have the wedge driven with sufficient force to form a bur or flattened surface on the bottom of the strand and possibly flatten its upper side. By this means the strand is prevented from moving longitudinally in the slot. By bending one of the arms 9 of the wedge to embrace a tongue 10, as set forth, the wedge will be firmly held in' fixed position and secured against ready withdrawal or having any loose movement with respect to the wire strand which it secures. By increasing the length of the lower depending vertical portion 5 of the slot 4. relatively to the upper portion of said slot compensation is had for the additional thickness of the interposed wire strand against which the lower edge of the wedge bears.

While it is preferred to place the strands in the lower portion 50f the slots 4., they may be placed in the upper end 7 and the wedges inserted below. Instead of bending the arm 9 around the tongue 10 below the throats 6 they may be fastened to the tongues above said throats. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate other forms of posts which may be substituted for that shown in Fig. 2.

Cylindrical posts having T-shaped slots formed therein for wire strands and fastening-wedges have been used before, and to this broad idea no claim is made; but the wedges used with said posts are right angular in crosssection, one flange of which bears against the top of the slot, while the other rests on the bottom of what is called in the specification throats, there being no contact between the wedges and the wire Strands. The end of the wedge above mentioned is split and one end bent or turned downwardly instead of around a flange, as is the case in this application.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is 1. A fence, comprising a post formed with a plurality of T-shaped slots and tongues adjacent thereto, a wire strand inserted in each slot, and a wedge-shaped key having its reduced end split to form arms fitted in each slot, one of which arms is horizontally bent around one ofsaid tongues.

2. A fence, comprising a post formed with a plurality of T-shaped slots and tongues adjacent thereto, a wire strand inserted in each slot, and wedge-shaped key having its reduced end split to form arms fitted in each of said slots, one of which arms is horizontally bent around one of said tongues, said keys bearing firmly upon the wire strands and the sides of said slots.

3. A fence, comprising a post formed with a plurality of T-shaped slots therein and opening outwardly therefrom, tongues being formed thereby, a wire strand inserted in each slot, and wedge-shaped keys of the same width as the slots and disposed therein above each wire strand and having their reduced ends longitudinally split to form arms, the

lowermost arm of each key bent horizontally around the adjacent tongue.

4. A fence, comprising posts formed with a plurality of T-shaped slots therein arranged in vertical succession and opening out through the edge thereof, the depending vertical portions of the slots extending a greater distance below the throats of said slots than the upper vertical portions thereof, tongues being thus formed between the slots and the side of the post, wire strands inserted and held in the lower portions of the slots, and wedge-shaped keys of the same width as the slots disposed therein above the strands, said keys having their reduced ends longitudinally split to form arms, one of the arms in each instance being bent around an adjacent tongue.

5. A fence, comprising posts formed with a plurality of slots arranged in vertical succession, wire strands insertedin each slot, flat wedge-shaped keys in each of said slots, the reduced ends of said keys being split to form arms and adapted to be horizontally bent around portions of each post between said slots and the outside of the post.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS BERNTSON.

Witnesses:

J OI-IN L. FLETCHER, MAY TAYLOR. 

